CONTROVERSIAL plans to increase weekend flights at Farnborough Airfield will not be debated until the new year.

Airfield operator TAG Aviation has applied for permission from Rushmoor Borough Council to double weekend and bank holiday flights from 2,500 to 5,000 to encourage more business into the area.

But the move has angered many residents who live under the flightpath and have complained that the move would see an increase in noise.

There was outcry from people living in Mytchett when TAG announced its plans to apply for a weekend increase in October.

They say that the potential increased noise and pollution would greatly affect their quality of life and fear that it may lead to increased flights during weekdays, despite TAG saying it will stick to its current maximum of 28,000 flights per year.

After a nine-week consultation on the plans which ended last Friday, the council has received approximately 1,500 written comments from members of the public opposing and supporting the plans.

Planning officials have also received four petitions containing a total of 338 signatures of residents from Rushmoor, Surrey Heath and Hart who do not want their peaceful weekends disrupted by extra flights.

Chief planner Keith Holland said a special meeting of the development control committee would take place early next year, when councillors will decide whether to approve or reject the weekend flight increase.

Council officials are bracing themselves for a huge demand from objectors who will want to speak out against the proposals.

The council has decided that because of the strong public opinion it will allow ten speakers to air their views at the meeting, instead of the current rules of just one speaker for each side.

Speakers against the proposals will be picked on a geographical basis to try to ensure a representative group, and they will be allowed to speak for five minutes.

Previously speakers were allowed just three minutes but under the new rules opponents of the plans will speak for a total of 50 minutes while supporters will have ten minutes.

The public will be able to apply to speak at the meeting a week before it goes ahead.

Mr Holland said the development control committee would take into account all comments received from the public.

He added: “What’s more important is exactly what people have said and the issues raised. It’s not about numbers, it’s about issues raised.”

TAG claims it is just responding to business demand with its controversial plans. It says it has turned away approximately ten to 15 aircraft each weekend for the past year, which has cost it about £1.5million.

At a meeting in Mytchett a fortnight ago TAG executives felt the heat of people power as hundreds of residents converged to protest against the weekend flying proposals.

TAG chairman Sir Donald Spiers and its head of environment Kathy Wood tried to dispel their concerns in a public meeting at Lakeside Country Club but many were not convinced.

And long-standing airfield campaigner and Independent Rushmoor borough councillor Patrick Kirby said that despite previous promises that flights would not be increased at weekends TAG’s application was something he had been expecting

He added: “If Rushmoor Borough Council gives permission for this application it will be letting down all the residents of Farnborough, Mytchett and Church Crookham who live under the flightpath.

“TAG had originally said that they wished to protect the interests of these residents by restricting weekend flying. These plans go totally against that.”

No date has been set for the special meeting but the council says it is likely to be held in early January.